Some people find it difficult to talk without spitting small amounts of saliva. This may be due to a health issue, aging, teeth formation, tongue movement, habit or nervousness. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to be on the receiving end of spittle on the face, yet dealing with it needs to balance with being polite and considerate of their feelings.

Steps

Part 1

Coping Without Saying Anything

1

Be understanding. People don't talk and spit on you on purpose. There is always a reason behind why this happens. In some cases, it's completely unexpected, such as the projectile that just flies out without the speaker even being aware it's about to happen.

2

Make a little more distance between both of you. This will depend on whom you're talking to but if you can just shift a little away or stand back a step without it seeming rude, then you won't be in their spittle zone and you can carry on as usual.

3

Avoid staring at the person's mouth. Use good eye contact, which is the polite way to talk anyway. By not staring at their mouth, you won't come across as focusing on that to the detriment of a good conversation and you won't also be so obsessed by the spittle situation and might even be able to stop thinking about it.

Part 2

Saying Something

1

Understand that there is a risk in saying something to the person. They may be offended by what you have to say and feel upset with you. As such, any attempt to say something must be couched in terms of thinking about who the person is, what your relationship is to that person and how likely it is that they might feel offended. In some cases, it may just be easier to deal with the situation with the suggestions from Part 1 and grin and bear it!

If you experience this problem all the time and it's someone you're close to, it is definitely better to talk about it than to make it the "elephant in the room".

2

Be kind in the way that you point out the issue. You might be able to gently and casually mention that you have noticed that they are lightly spitting on you as they talk. Some people appreciate the direct method. Or, have a laugh and in a good-natured way, say: "Hey that's so cool what you're telling me but could you say it, not spray it?". Keep it light and friendly when you talk to them about it and only use this on people you know won't take offense at your humor.

You might be able to use the health card. Just say that you aren't very well lately and need to be careful about staying healthy and that you are worried about germs being spread around if flecks of spittle land on you. This might make the other person upset though, as you're implying that they're not healthy, so be very careful with this one.

3

Talk more about it only if they want to. Don't make a big deal out of it they simply apologize and do their best to not spit again. However, if they say something like: "Yeah, sorry about that, I have X condition that causes me to spit a little when I talk", then you could ask them some more about their condition and how they deal with it as a whole. A little sympathy can be helpful.

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Tips

You cannot contract HIV or herpes from a speck of spittle in the eye or mouth.[1] Remember that human beings have evolved to speak to one another in close proximity without major problems issuing from this daily activity.

Some people will readily apologize for spitting on you. Be kind and politely say that it is okay. They are trying their best to not upset you.